There stood a witch. A long horrible nose quivered in the middle of a face framed by stringy black hair. She opened her mouth, revealing a few yellow teeth and dark holes where other teeth should have been.

“So, you’re cheating,” Mom said, sitting back against her chair. She looked at me, tapping her fingers on the chair arms for what seemed like a very long time. Then, she folded her arms in front of her chest. I waited for the other shoe to drop.

By the time you’re halfway through your second tour, third tour bidding goes from an abstract concept to very applicable. The end of first and second tour “directed assignments” means the beginning of your own advocacy to get your next Foreign Service position.

The nomadic life of my youth taught me four things: 1) be at home where you are; 2) let go when it's time; 3) settle in fast; and 4) forget there's anywhere else to be. This cycle puts you right back at 1) being at home where you are.

In the days and weeks after the shooting, the survivors of the Parkland high school shooting organized a national movement demanding gun control.This summer, they reminded us that is an act of patriotism and crossed the country in a Voter Registration Drive.

In 2016, I had one day to show my husband the Eternal City. Should we wander the city on our own or hit the highlights on a tour? I chose NOT to be the one to hurry us along, leaving the nagging (and the guiding) to the professionals. It was a wonderful day!